The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a capo for use on a stringed instrument, such as an electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, twelve-string guitar, mandolin, banjo, and so forth.
Various stringed musical instruments include a neck or other region over which the strings run and upon which a musician can effectively shorten the length of a string by pressing (i.e., fretting) the respective string against the underlying surface or against a ridge (i.e., a fret) running across the underlying surface. By effectively changing the length of the string that vibrates, a musician, in this manner, may achieve a desired note.
In some instances, an add-on device may be employed to facilitate such an operation. For example, a capo is a device placed around the neck of a stringed (typically fretted) instrument (such as a guitar) to shorten the playable length of the strings, thereby raising the pitch of all of the strings. Musicians commonly use a capo to raise the pitch of a fretted instrument so they can play in a different key using the same fingerings as playing open (i.e., without a capo). In effect, a capo uses a fret of an instrument to create a new nut at a higher note than the instrument's actual nut.
One issue with using a capo, however, is that, when positioned on the instrument neck, the capo must be placed as close as possible to the fret being employed (on the side of the fret away from the saddle) so as to provide enough downward pressure on the strings to get a good fretted tone without excessively bending the strings, causing the notes on all the strings to go up in pitch (go sharp). However, the closer the capo is to such fret, the more the capo may restrict the positioning or movement of the musician's hand on the instrument, and/or lead to uncomfortable rubbing or contact during play.